34 CFR 200.19 - Other academic indicators.

(1)Choice of indicator. To determine AYP, consistent with § 200.14(e), each State must use at least one other academic indicator for public elementary schools and at least one other academic indicator for public middle schools, such as those in paragraph (c) of this section.

(2)Goals. A State may, but is not required to, increase the goals of its other academic indicators over the course of the timeline under § 200.15.

(3)Reporting. A State and its LEAs must report under section 1111(h) of the Act (annual report cards) performance on the academic indicators for elementary and middle schools at the school, LEA, and State levels in the aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii).

(4)Determining AYP. A State—

(i) Must disaggregate its other academic indicators for elementary and middle schools by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii) for purposes of determining AYP under § 200.20(b)(2) (“safe harbor”) and as required under section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vii) of the Act (additional academic indicators under paragraph (c) of this section); but (ii) Need not disaggregate those indicators for determining AYP under § 200.20(a)(1)(ii) (meeting the State's annual measurable objectives).

(b)High schools—

(1)Graduation rate. Consistent with paragraphs (b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section regarding reporting and determining AYP, respectively, each State must calculate a graduation rate, defined as follows, for all public high schools in the State:

(i)

(A) A State must calculate a “four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate,” defined as the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for that graduating class.

(B) For those high schools that start after grade nine, the cohort must be calculated based on the earliest high school grade.

(ii) The term “adjusted cohort” means the students who enter grade 9 (or the earliest high school grade) and any students who transfer into the cohort in grades 9 through 12 minus any students removed from the cohort.

(A) The term “students who transfer into the cohort” means the students who enroll after the beginning of the entering cohort's first year in high school, up to and including in grade 12.

(B) To remove a student from the cohort, a school or LEA must confirm in writing that the student transferred out, emigrated to another country, or is deceased.

(1) To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.

(2) A student who is retained in grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) program, or leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rate and must remain in the adjusted cohort.

(iii) The term “students who graduate in four years” means students who earn a regular high school diploma at the conclusion of their fourth year, before the conclusion of their fourth year, or during a summer session immediately following their fourth year.

(iv) The term “regular high school diploma” means the standard high school diploma that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not include a GED credential, certificate of attendance, or any alternative award.

(v) In addition to calculating a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, a State may propose to the Secretary for approval an “extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.”

(A) An extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is defined as the number of students who graduate in four years or more with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, provided that the adjustments account for any students who transfer into the cohort by the end of the year of graduation being considered minus the number of students who transfer out, emigrate to another country, or are deceased by the end of that year.

(B) A State may calculate one or more extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rates.

(2)Transitional graduation rate.

(i) Prior to the deadline in paragraph (b)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, a State must calculate graduation rate as defined in paragraph (b)(1) of this section or use, on a transitional basis—

(A) A graduation rate that measures the percentage of students from the beginning of high school who graduate with a regular high school diploma in the standard number of years; or

(B) Another definition, developed by the State and approved by the Secretary, that more accurately measures the rate of student graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma.

(ii) For a transitional graduation rate calculated under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section—

(A) “Regular high school diploma” has the same meaning as in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section;

(B) “Standard number of years” means four years unless a high school begins after ninth grade, in which case the standard number of years is the number of grades in the school; and

(C) A dropout may not be counted as a transfer.

(3)Goal and targets.

(i) A State must set—

(A) A single graduation rate goal that represents the rate the State expects all high schools in the State to meet; and

(B) Annual graduation rate targets that reflect continuous and substantial improvement from the prior year toward meeting or exceeding the graduation rate goal.

(ii) Beginning with AYP determinations under § 200.20 based on school year 2009-2010 assessment results, in order to make AYP, any high school or LEA that serves grade 12 and the State must meet or exceed—

(A) The graduation rate goal set by the State under paragraph (b)(3)(i)(A) of this section; or

(B) The State's targets for continuous and substantial improvement from the prior year, as set by the State under paragraph (b)(3)(i)(B) of this section.

(4)Reporting.

(i) In accordance with the deadlines in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, a State and its LEAs must report under section 1111(h) of the Act (annual report cards) graduation rate at the school, LEA, and State levels in the aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii).

(ii)

(A) Beginning with report cards providing results of assessments administered in the 2010-2011 school year, a State and its LEAs must report the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate calculated in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(B) If a State adopts an extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate calculated in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(v) of this section, the State and its LEAs must report, beginning with the first year for which the State calculates such a rate, the extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate separately from the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.

(C) Prior to the deadline in paragraph (b)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, a State and its LEAs must report a graduation rate calculated in accordance with paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section in the aggregate and disaggregated by the subgroups in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii).

(5)Determining AYP.

(i) Beginning with AYP determinations under § 200.20 based on school year 2011-2012 assessment results, a State must calculate graduation rate under paragraph (b)(1) of this section at the school, LEA, and State levels in the aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii).

(ii) Prior to the AYP determinations described in paragraph (b)(5)(i) of this section, a State must calculate graduation rate in accordance with either paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section—

(A) In the aggregate at the school, LEA, and State levels for determining AYP under § 200.20(a)(1)(ii) (meeting the State's annual measurable objectives), except as provided in paragraph (b)(7)(iii) of this section; but

(B) In the aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii) for purposes of determining AYP under § 200.20(b)(2) (“safe harbor”) and as required under section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vii) of the Act (additional academic indicators under paragraph (c) of this section).

(6)Accountability workbook.

(i) A State must revise its Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook submitted under section 1111 of the Act to include the following:

(A) The State's graduation rate definition that the State will use to determine AYP based on school year 2009-2010 assessment results.

(B) The State's progress toward meeting the deadline in paragraph (b)(4)(ii)(A) of this section for calculating and reporting the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defined in paragraph (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(C) The State's graduation rate goal and targets.

(D) An explanation of how the State's graduation rate goal represents the rate the State expects all high schools in the State to meet and how the State's targets demonstrate continuous and substantial improvement from the prior year toward meeting or exceeding the goal.

(E) The graduation rate for the most recent school year of the high school at the 10th percentile, the 50th percentile, and the 90th percentile in the State (ranked in terms of graduation rate).

(F) If a State uses an extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, a description of how it will use that rate with its four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate to determine whether its schools and LEAs have made AYP.

(ii) Each State must submit, consistent with the timeline in § 200.7(a)(2)(iii), its revised Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook in accordance with paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section to the Department for technical assistance and peer review under the process established by the Secretary under section 1111(e)(2) of the Act.

(7)Extension.

(i) If a State cannot meet the deadline in paragraph (b)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, the State may request an extension of the deadline from the Secretary.

(ii) To receive an extension, a State must submit to the Secretary, by March 2, 2009—

(A) Evidence satisfactory to the Secretary demonstrating that the State cannot meet the deadline in paragraph (b)(4)(ii)(A) of this section; and

(B) A detailed plan and timeline addressing the steps the State will take to implement, as expeditiously as possible, a graduation rate consistent with paragraph (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(iii) A State that receives an extension under this paragraph must, beginning with AYP determinations under § 200.20 based on school year 2011-2012 assessment results, calculate graduation rate under paragraph (b)(2) of this section at the school, LEA, and State levels in the aggregate and disaggregated by each subgroup described in § 200.13(b)(7)(ii).

(c) The State may include additional academic indicators determined by the State, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Additional State or locally administered assessments not included in the State assessment system under § 200.2.

(2) Grade-to-grade retention rates.

(3) Attendance rates.

(4) Percentages of students completing gifted and talented, advanced placement, and college preparatory courses.

(d) A State must ensure that its other academic indicators are—

(1) Valid and reliable;

(2) Consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards, if any; and

(1) May not use the indicators in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section to reduce the number, or change the identity, of schools that would otherwise be subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring if those indicators were not used; but

(2) May use the indicators to identify additional schools for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 1810-0581 and 1810-0576)